Return of the Queen
by Arendelle Knight
Summary: Sequel to 'Exile'. It has been two weeks since Queen Elsa and Princess Anna returned to Arendelle, but not everyone in Arendelle is happy to have the queen back.
1. Two Weeks Later

**AN: This story is a direct sequel to my last story, Exile. If you haven't read Exile yet I recommend you read it first.**

**Chapter 1 - Two Weeks Later**

It had been two weeks since Queen Elsa and Princess Anna had returned to Arendelle, and for the most part the sisters had been welcomed back with open arms. In spite of her eternal winter (which ended up lasting less than a week) the people had a lot of respect for Queen Elsa, as well as for her father King Agdar before her.

Elsa's family had ruled Arendelle for many generations, and while the people had been surprised to discover that their newly crowned ruler had cryokinetic powers most of them held no ill will against her for what she had done at her coronation. After the initial shock wore off most of them were able to recognize that she hadn't intended to freeze the summer. She was scared, she panicked, it had been an accident and now she knew how to control it, so it wouldn't happen again.

Of course there were also those who feared the queen, those who saw her not as the kind and loving person she was, but as a wicked sorceress who had cursed the land. There were those in Arendelle who had gladly welcomed Hans as their new king, and these people didn't much care what he had done to usurp the throne.

But even those who supported Hans didn't believe him when he said that Queen Elsa had killed her own sister. If anyone knew anything about Elsa it was that she loved her sister Anna more than life itself, so much so that when she feared losing control of her powers and hurting Anna she had locked herself in isolation for 13 years to protect her. No, if Queen Elsa had froze her sister's heart it had been an accident, and in any case Hans had been lying when he said Princess Anna had died.

Even though the people knew of how Hans had schemed to overthrow the rightful ruler of Arendelle, kill her and her sister, and take the throne for himself there were those who simply didn't care. As far as they were concerned anyone was better than the witch queen who now ruled over them, and regardless of what he had done anyone included Hans.

As for Hans he had simply disappeared shortly after telling the citizens of Arendelle that Queen Elsa had killed Princess Anna, that he had sentenced Queen Elsa to death for treason and carried out the sentence himself. Apparently the queen had put up a fight because he came back wounded, but he stayed only long enough to get patched up before heading off towards the north mountain alone. He had never returned.

Only Queen Elsa and Princess Anna knew of Hans' true fate. He had pursued Elsa to the north mountain, walked into her ice palace intending to kill her, but he hadn't expected her to put up a fight. When she had Hans at her mercy she had given him the chance to walk away, but he persisted in trying to kill her, so she froze his heart and cast him out of into the snow. It had been mere hours later when he froze to death, turning to solid ice, and shortly thereafter he had melted in the sun along with all the snow as Elsa was bleeding to death.

Though the queen had emerged from the fight victorious Hans had managed to seriously injure her on her arm and leg, and she hadn't realized just how grave her injuries were until she had already lost a great deal of blood. The queen had almost died. For three days she had lied in bed unconscious, her sister never leaving her side. There were those among Queen Elsa's subjects who had been hoping and praying that she would die from her injuries so that Princess Anna could take over. As far as they could tell the younger of the royal sisters was completely ordinary, and would be much more suited for the throne than a monster like Elsa.

Elsa understood that there were those who feared her, those who hated her, but she didn't understand how dire the situation truly was. There were people in Arendelle who wanted the queen dead, and some of those people were able and willing to kill her themselves if presented with the slightest opportunity.


	2. An Act of True Love

**Chapter 2 - An Act of True Love**

Elsa opened the door to Anna's bedroom quietly, stifling a laugh at the sight of the young princess. Anna was snoring loudly, drooling on her pillow, and her hair was a complete mess. Elsa stopped to appreciate the fact that her younger sister's hair was all the same color. The white streak that Anna had in her hair for most of her life was gone, having disappeared when Kristoff kissed her and thawed her frozen heart. That white streak had haunted Elsa for 13 years, reminding her every time she saw Anna that she had almost killed her baby sister, reminding her that she was a monster.

Elsa still couldn't help thinking of herself in that way sometimes, but whenever she said it out loud Anna was there to tell her that she was not a monster. Elsa was slowly starting to accept herself, to accept her...her gift. She still caught herself thinking of her powers as a curse from time to time, but as Pabbie had told her years ago there was great beauty in her magic, and now that she knew how to control it she didn't have to be afraid of hurting Anna or anyone else.

That didn't mean that Elsa wasn't still afraid sometimes, she hadn't simply recovered from 13 years of isolation, fear, and self loathing overnight. She still woke up in the middle of the night screaming Anna's name, thinking that she had killed her precious sister, but no nightmares plagued the queen on this night. That wasn't why she was in her sister's room at such a late hour. She crept up beside Anna's bed and said at just above a whisper "Psst, Anna."

Anna mumbled something incoherent and brushed a few stray hairs out of her open mouth before rolling over, turning her back to Elsa. The queen giggled and tried again. "Anna," she said as she put both hands on her sister's back and shook her playfully, "wake up, wake up, wake up."

Anna opened her eyes slightly, looking at her big sister in mock annoyance. "Why aren't you asleep, Elsa?" she asked. "I just can't sleep," Elsa said dramatically, collapsing on Anna. "The sky's awake, so I'm awake, so we have to play." Anna was now fully awake, a huge smile on her face. Elsa smiled warmly and asked "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

* * *

Anbjørn had been waiting for an opportunity to strike ever since Queen Elsa had recovered from the injuries she suffered during her battle with Prince Hans. Had he known the queen would pull through he would have simply slipped into her room in the middle of the night and slit her throat while she slept, but with how much blood she had lost it seemed it would take a miracle to save her.

Queen Elsa was tough, Anbjørn had to give her that, but she wasn't invincible. If her sister and that mountain man had got to her just a few minutes later she would have bled to death, and Arendelle wouldn't be under the rule of an evil snow queen.

He had waited for the perfect moment, and it had finally presented itself as he saw Queen Elsa and Princess Anna running through the halls of the castle towards the ballroom. He felt a pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach at the thought of killing the queen in front of her little sister. He had no vendetta against Princess Anna, but he knew that he might not get another opportunity like this. For the good of Arendelle he could not falter.

* * *

In seconds Elsa had turned the ballroom into a winter wonderland. She smiled when she looked at her sister, who was jumping up and down, giggling excitedly. Anna still had that same sense of childlike wonder every time Elsa used her powers like this. Elsa's mind went back to how happy Anna had been all those years ago in this very room, right before Elsa almost killed her.

"Elsa, what's wrong?" Anna asked, seeing the look on her older sister's face. Elsa shook that last memory from her mind and smiled. "Nothing," she lied, "just lost in thought." Anna didn't quite buy the queen's answer, but she decided not to push the issue. She understood if Elsa needed some time to deal with everything she had been through, and if she ever wanted to talk about it Anna would be there.

"Come on," she said, reaching her hand out to her older sister, "you promised to teach me how to skate, remember?" Elsa smiled and waved her left hand towards the icy floor under Anna's feet, turning her boots into a beautiful pair of ice skates. Anna stumbled at first, but soon she was gliding gracefully across the ice, holding her sister's hands for balance.

As they glided and pivoted across the ice Anna caught something out of the corner of her eye. There was a man standing in the doorway to the ballroom. It was Anbjørn, one of the castle guards. She had known Anbjørn for most of her life, but something was off. Anna looked straight at him and was horrified to see that he was holding a crossbow, and he was pointing it at Elsa.

Anna didn't have time to speak up, to scream for help, and regardless there were very few guards in the halls at this time of night. She heard the twang of the crossbow string, and she only had enough time to throw herself between Elsa and the incoming projectile, taking the deadly bolt in her own chest.


	3. Stay With Me

**Chapter 3 - Stay With Me**

The impact of the bolt knocked Anna off her feet. She fell backwards landing on top of Elsa, but it took the queen a few seconds to realize what had happened. When she saw the bolt sticking out of Anna's chest her reaction was immediate, scrambling to her side and cradling her head in her hands.

"Anna! No, no, no! Anna, please don't die on me!" Anna was conscious but she looked panicked, like she didn't know where she was or what was going on. She stared up at Elsa with her eyes wide. "E..Elsa," she gasped, "Elsa." She said it louder the second time. Elsa choked back a sob as she said "I'm right here, Anna. You're going to be okay."

Suddenly Elsa realized that Anna hadn't been looking at her, she had been looking past her. She had been trying to warn her. Before Elsa could do anything Anna had her arms around her pulling her down to the ice, rolling on top of her just in time to catch a second bolt intended for the queen in her back. The bolt in her chest snapped off painfully and Anna let out an agonized scream.

This time Elsa had the presence of mind to put Anbjørn down before he could try again. She turned as he stalked towards her, willing Frostbite to form in her left hand midswing, hacking off the traitorous guard's right hand with ease. He dropped his weapon and fell to the floor holding the bloody stump, screaming in pain.

Anbjørn's screams finally alerted two more guards who came running into the room, weapons at the ready. Elsa remained on high alert, holding Frostbite in front of her. "Your Majesty, what happened here?" one of them asked. Elsa hesitated for a moment before willing Frostbite out of existence and turning back to her sister. "Anna's hurt. Find Doctor Larsen."

One of the guards left to retrieve the doctor while the other turned his attention to Anbjørn. "And what of him?" the guard asked. Elsa looked behind her as if just remembering that her would be assassin was still there. "He tried to kill me," she said with unmasked rage, "he shot Anna." The guard immediately pulled Anbjørn to his feet, looking at him with contempt as he led him away to the dungeon.

Elsa turned back to see her sister trembling and staring down at the bolt sticking out of her chest. The young princess looked at her sister with tears welling up in her eyes. "Elsa, it hurts," she sobbed, her bottom lip trembling. "W..why does it hurt, Elsa?" Elsa bit back her tears and answered in as calming a voice as she could. "Anna, it's okay. I'm right here for you" she said.

Anna looked at Elsa in disbelief. "Y..you're not going to leave?" Elsa felt her heart breaking. "Anna, I'm not going anywhere," she said, "How could you even think that?" Anna wasn't convinced. "Promise," she said abruptly, "promise you'll stay with me."


	4. Nothing to Lose

**Chapter 4 - Nothing to Lose**

After what seemed to Elsa like an eternity Doctor Larsen arrived, flanked by several castle guards. Elsa placed herself protectively between Anna and the guards, not knowing who she could trust after what Anbjørn did. They seemed to understand, backing away a few steps, keeping their hands where the queen could see them.

Satisifed, Elsa turned her attention back to Anna, who was still shaking and sobbing, clinging desperately to her older sister. Elsa started to move, to give Doctor Larsen room to work, and Anna panicked. Elsa squeezed her sister's hand reassuringly. "I'm not going to leave you," she said gently, swallowing a lump in her throat. The queen moved slowly to Anna's side, never letting go of her hand. When Elsa settled on the floor beside her Anna breathed a sigh of relief, smiling weakly.

Doctor Larsen sat down on the other side of Anna. "Your Majesty," he said carefully, turning to look at the queen, "the cold is only going to make things worse." Elsa hadn't even noticed the storm picking up around her, getting stronger by the second. With great effort she willed it away. Doctor Larsen turned his attention to the wounded princess. After a few seconds he smiled and said "Princess Anna is very lucky. The bolts don't appear to have hit anything vital." He omitted for Elsa's sake as well as for Anna's that the bolt in her chest had only barely missed her heart.

Elsa breathed a huge sigh of relief. Doctor Larsen continued, "She will be okay, but I need to remove the bolts and stop the bleeding." The doctor motioned for one of the guards, Hendrik, to help him move the princess. Elsa still eyed the man nervously, but she nodded, allowing him to lift her sister off the floor. Despite how careful Hendrik was the sudden movement caused Anna to scream in agony. Suddenly the scream stopped and Anna went limp in the guard's arms.

* * *

Anbjørn landed head first on the cold hard floor of his cell with a sickening crack. "Why, Anbjørn? Why did you do it?" Anbjørn started to sit up, opened his mouth to respond, but he was knocked back down with a punch to the face. "Why?!" Anbjørn sat up carefully this time, weakly attempting to shield himself from the next blow with a trembling hand. He had been given only the most basic treatment for his other hand, the one the queen had severed with her ice sword. Anbjørn knew that even that was done only so that he wouldn't bleed to death before he could be hanged for attempted regicide.

"Why did you try to kill Princess Anna?" Anbjørn spat out blood and wiped off his mouth with his good hand before responding, "I tried to kill the witch queen, her sister merely got in my way." Another blow sent Anbjørn sprawling to the floor, breaking his nose. He sat back up laughing as he spat out more blood. "Beat me if it makes you feel better, Sigfried. I have nothing to lose."

Sigfried looked at Anbjørn sadly. This was a man he had served alongside, a man he had come to trust, a man he had thought of as a friend, and soon he would be swinging from the gallows for attempted regicide. More than sadness though he felt anger at the man before him, anger for what he tried to do to Queen Elsa, anger for what he did to Princess Anna.

Sigfried had known the royal sisters for even longer than he had known Anbjørn. After King Agdar and Queen Idun were lost at sea Sigfried was there to help Anna through her grief, to reassure her that her sister still loved her, that she was just dealing with things in her own way. He didn't know why the future queen had shut her younger sister out, but when he did catch a glimpse of her coming and going from her room he saw only sadness in her eyes. He knew in his heart that whatever her reason for doing so, shutting her younger sister out was causing Elsa a great deal of pain.

After all those years of separation, after everything the sisters had been through, Anbjørn had tried to kill Elsa, and in the attempt he may very well have killed Anna. When Sigfried thought about what Queen Elsa would do to Anbjørn if Anna didn't make it he momentarily felt sorry for him, but that was replaced by pure hatred as he looked at Anbjørn and said "You had better pray her sister pulls through."


	5. You're Going to be Okay

**Chapter 5 - You're Going to be Okay**

Anbjørn woke up shivering, finding his cell completely frozen. The iron door was wide open, and there in the doorway stood Queen Elsa, her expression a combination of grief and rage. She wordlessly stalked towards Anbjørn, summoning Frostbite into her outstretched left hand. The terrified man backed into the corner, incoherently pleading for his life as Elsa swung her sword and took off his remaining hand.

He screamed in pain, looking in disbelief at the bloody stump. "What was it you called me before?" Elsa asked. Her voice was that of someone who had lost everything. She held Frostbite to his throat, pushing just hard enough to draw blood. "Please," he begged, "have mercy." She dug the sword in a little deeper, eliciting a pained gasp. "Answer me!" she screamed. He hesitated before answering, "M..monster."

Elsa withdrew Frostbite from Anbjørn's throat. "You took the only family I had left, and I'm the monster?" she asked. Anbjørn broke down. "I'm sorry," he said through tears, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He repeated the words over and over, grovelling at the queen's feet. She looked at him with hatred and said "No you're not, not yet." She took a few steps back, holding Frostbite in front of her. "You wanted a monster?" she asked, "I'll give you a monster." With that she stabbed Frostbite into Anbjørn's stomach.

Anbjørn woke in a cold sweat, grasping at his midsection with his good hand and breathing a sigh of relief when he found no gaping sword wound. He wasn't afraid to die, he knew the risks of attempted regicide, but he was very afraid of what the witch queen would do to him should her sister not survive. He had mentally prepared himself to face the gallows, but as for what Elsa might do to him if he had killed her dear sister, he had nothing to go on save for his imagination.

All he knew for sure was that it wouldn't be pleasant.

* * *

When Anna woke up Doctor Larsen was in the middle of removing the bolt from her back. She screamed in pain and Elsa immediately took her hand. "It's going to be okay, Anna," she said, "You're almost through this." Just knowing that her big sister hadn't left, that she was still there for her calmed Anna down a little, but she had never been in this much pain before.

The broken bolt in Anna's chest had already been removed, and the wound had been patched up. Elsa was thankful that Anna had slept through that one. Being in such close proximity to Anna's heart it had taken much longer to remove safely than the bolt in her back, and Doctor Larsen had feared that if she woke up Anna might panic and inadvertantly drive the bolt into her heart.

When the second bolt finally came out Anna felt like her back was on fire. She tried to scream but all that came out was a pained whimper and a flood of tears. Elsa wanted to embrace her sister, but she knew that the wound still had to be treated, so she settled for holding her hand and whispering words of comfort. "It's okay, Anna," she said softly, "the worst part is over." She smiled slightly and continued, "You're going to be okay, Anna." For the first time since Anna had been shot, Elsa truly believed those words.


	6. Guilty

**Chapter 6 - Guilty**

Kristoff arrived at the castle early the next morning to see Anna. For two weeks he had enjoyed unrestricted access, being allowed to come as go as he pleased, but today he was met at the gates and escorted by royal guards to Anna's room. When he saw Elsa sitting by Anna's bed he knew that something was very wrong.

"It's okay," Elsa said to the guards, "Mister Bjorgman is a friend." The guards bowed and left the room as Kristoff approached Anna's bed, taking a seat next to Elsa. The princess was sleeping, but she had a pained expression on her face. Kristoff kept his voice quiet so as not to wake her. "What happened?" he asked Elsa. She looked at Anna sadly and replied, "She was shot." Elsa saw Kristoff go pale and quickly added, "She's going to be okay. Doctor Larsen removed the bolts and stopped the bleeding. She just needs rest."

Kristoff looked relieved, but his expression quickly turned to anger. "Who did this to her?" he asked, standing to his feet. Elsa put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Kristoff," she said, "he's already been captured." Kristoff sat back down. "Good," he said, "I want to be there when that bastard hangs." When he saw the look in Elsa's eyes he immediately regretted what he'd said. "Do...do you know him?" he asked. Elsa nodded. "It was one of my own guards," she said, "Anbjørn. He's served my family for years."

Both of them remained silent for some time before Kristoff finally spoke up. "So what are you going to do?" he asked. Elsa didn't hesitate, her voice was filled with resolve. "The only thing I can do," she said, "he tried to kill me, he nearly killed Anna, he is to be sentenced to death." Kristoff looked at her stunned. "Wait, what?" he asked, "If he tried to kill you why is Anna the one who got hurt?"

Elsa heard no anger in Kristoff's voice. It hadn't been an accusation, but she still felt guilty for what happened to Anna. On some level she realized that she wasn't responsible, Anbjørn was at fault, not her, but she could have done more. She should have paid more attention, she shouldn't have let Anna throw herself in front of that bolt, she should have put Anbjørn down before he got the chance to try again. Elsa knew that it should have been her lying there, not her precious little sister.

But what if it had been her? What if she hadn't pulled through? What would that have done to Anna? She had buried their parents alone, if Elsa died Anna would have no family left. Anna threw herself in front of that bolt for Elsa because she loved her, and she was willing to die to protect her. It was her choice, but Elsa still felt guilty, because she knew that it should have been her.

"She sacrificed herself for me," Elsa replied, "she saw Anbjørn and she threw herself in front of the bolt." Before Kristoff could respond there was a knock at the door. "Your Majesty," Kai called, "are you ready?" Elsa stood slowly, looking to Kristoff. "Will you be here when Anna wakes up?" she asked. Kristoff nodded. "Of course, Queen Elsa," he said. "It's just Elsa to you," she replied with a smile.

* * *

Anbjørn looked at the queen with contempt as he was lead before her. She didn't deserve to sit on that throne, a witch like her didn't even deserve to live. She hadn't been queen for a day when she had cursed the land with eternal winter. Worse than that she froze her little sister's heart, nearly killed her, and still she had been welcomed back with open arms. She was a danger to Arendelle, and he was seemingly the only one who had been willing to do anything about it.

He only had two regrets about what he had done. He regretted having failed in his mission and he regretted having hurt Princess Anna. He was beyond relieved when he heard that she had pulled through, and not only because he feared the wrath of her sister if she died. He had known Princess Anna for many years, and she wasn't like her sister. There was no dark magic in Anna, and he could only hope that someone else would succeed where he had failed so she could be crowned queen.

Anbjørn expected Queen Elsa to get right to the point, but she surprised him. "Why, Anbjørn?" she asked, "Why did you do it?" He was surprised that there wasn't a hint of anger in the queen's voice, not a hint of hatred. She sounded sad, she sounded like she was talking to a close friend, someone she trusted, who had betrayed that trust in the worst possible way. He hesitated for only a moment before answering steadily, "Because Arendelle deserves better than to have a witch on the throne." One of the guards escorting Anbjørn punched him hard in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Elsa held up a hand to stop him before addressing Anbjørn again.

"Anbjørn Jørgensen," she began, "you have been found guilty of attempted regicide, and in accordance with the laws of Arendelle I sentence you to death." She didn't sound like she was enjoying this, she sounded regretful. After what he had done to her, even after what he had done to her sister, she was deriving no pleasure in sentencing him to death, she was doing it because she felt it was necessary.

Anbjørn was right about Elsa, she didn't want to send him to the gallows, she had to. She feared that he would try again, she feared that he might kill her sister, but she wasn't happy to send him to his death. She had known and trusted this man for many years, her father had trusted him, but she couldn't waver. The price of leniency could very well be Anna's life, and that was a price Elsa wasn't willing to pay.


	7. Familial Bonds

**Chapter 7 - Familial Bonds**

When Anbjørn heard the sound of approaching footsteps he cowered in the corner of his cell, fearing another beating. He had been imprisoned for less than a day and already his nose was broken, there were bruises all over his body, and that was to say nothing of his missing hand, courtesy of Queen Elsa's ice sword Frostbite. At this point he eagerly awaited the gallows.

"Anbjørn?" The voice coming from the other side of the iron bars sounded heartbroken. He recognized the voice immediately, looking up to see his younger sister Brita staring at him with tears in her eyes. "Brita," he said, "you shouldn't be here. You shouldn't have to see me like this." She looked at her big brother sadly and said "But I did have to see you one last time."

After a few seconds of silence Brita asked "Why did you do it, Anbjørn?" This was the third time since trying to assassinate Queen Elsa that Anbjørn had been asked that question, but it was the first time the question hadn't been directed at him in anger. But then he realized that wasn't really true. When Queen Elsa had asked him why he did what he did it hadn't been in anger, he had heard sadness in her voice, regret for what she knew she had to do to protect herself, to protect her sister.

"I saw what Queen Elsa could do and I feared her powers," he answered honestly. "I misjudged her." Brita looked just slightly hopeful as she said "Then that's what I'll tell her. If she knows you're sorry for what you did she will have to spare your life." Anbjørn looked at his little sister and shook his head. "No, Brita. I made a mistake, and now I have to pay for it." He knew he couldn't live with himself in any case, especially after what he had done to Princess Anna.

Brita was determined. "No, Anbjørn," she said, "I'm not just going to watch the only family I have left be sentenced to the gallows." He smiled weakly. "The sentence has already been passed," he told her, "I am to hang at dawn." Brita looked at him with resolve. "I'm not going to let that happen," she said. "I promise."

* * *

Anna opened her eyes slowly, and was surprised to see Kristoff sitting by her bedside. When she noticed that Elsa was nowhere to be seen she panicked, sitting bolt upright in her bed. After what happened last night she feared that the assassin might have tried again, that he might have succeeded this time. "Where's Elsa!?" she asked, "Is she okay?" Kristoff smiled at her. "She's fine," he said, "she just had some business to attend to."

Anna breathed a huge sigh of relief, then winced at the sudden pain in her chest. "You need to lie down," Kristoff said, gently taking her hand, "Your wounds won't heal properly if you move around too much." Anna nodded and laid back down, letting out a yelp as the pressure on her back sent another wave of pain through her body. Finally she settled on laying on her side, facing Kristoff.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. She smiled at him and said "I'm much better now that you're here." They were silent for a few seconds, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes until the sound of the door opening snapped them back to reality. "Anna, you're awake," Elsa said, rushing to her sister's side, "I'm so happy you're okay."

She started to hug Anna but backed off when she realized that she was hurting her. "I'm sorry," the queen said quickly, "just...please don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I lost you, Anna." Elsa could no longer hold back her tears, and Anna reached out to her pulling her into a warm embrace, being careful not to aggravate her wounds. "It's okay, Elsa," she said softly, "I'm okay and you're okay."

Anna started to cry too as it hit her just how close Elsa had come to death. If she had reacted just a second later her big sister would have taken that bolt. Anna had gotten lucky, she had pulled through, but Elsa might not have. Anna didn't want to imagine losing her sister. Elsa was the only family she had left, and she didn't know how she would have continued on without her.

The sisters were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Your Majesty," Kai said, "Brita Jørgensen has requested an audience with you." Anna wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Elsa. "Why does that name sound so familiar?" she asked. Elsa took a moment to compose herself before answering as she stood to leave. "Anbjørn's sister."


	8. The Only Family I Have Left

**Chapter 8 - The Only Family I Have Left**

"Your Majesty," Brita began with a bow, "I beg you to reconsider my brother's sentence." Elsa looked at the woman with compassion. She had done nothing wrong, she didn't deserve to lose her brother, but he had made his choice. Anbjørn alone was to blame for his actions, and for what the consequences of those actions would do to his sister. "I'm deeply sorry," Elsa replied, "but he tried to kill me, he very nearly killed my sister in the attempt. How do I know he won't try again?"

"I spoke to Anbjørn just moments ago," Brita replied, "He truly regrets his actions. He never meant to hurt Princess Anna, and he regrets having tried to kill you." Elsa knew how much Brita wanted to believe her own words, how much she wanted to think the best of her brother. She knew that Brita's love for Anbjørn was clouding her judgement.

"Did Anbjørn tell you why he tried to kill me?" Elsa asked. "Yes, Your Majesty," Brita replied, "He told me that he feared your powers, he thought you meant to use them for evil, but he knows now that he was wrong about you." Elsa considered her response carefully. "While that may very well be true," she said, "I simply cannot take the risk. I'm very sorry, but he can't take back what he did, and my decision is final."

Brita looked devastated. "Please, Your Majesty," she said through tears, "Anbjørn is the only family I have left." Elsa started to respond, but Brita cut her off with "What if it was Anna?" This question took Elsa by surprise. She knew without a doubt that if it had been Anna who tried to kill her she would have spared her life. There was nothing that Anna could do to make Elsa stop loving her, and she knew that Brita felt the same way about Anbjørn.

"Anna is exactly the reason for my decision," Elsa said carefully. "If I let your brother go I can never be sure he won't try again. The price of leniency might be my sister's life, and I'm not willing to pay that price." Brita looked resigned. "I'm truly and deeply sorry," Elsa said gently. "You should go to your brother and say your goodbyes."

* * *

"I tried, Anbjørn," Brita said, "but Queen Elsa won't budge." Anbjørn smiled reassuringly at his little sister. "It's okay," he said, "I'm not afraid to die." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "But I am afraid for you to die," she said with a choked sob, "I'm afraid to be alone." He embraced his little sister as best he could from the other side of the bars as she wept bitterly.

"Brita, you're the strongest person I know," he said, "You'll get through this, I know you will." She wiped away the tears from her face and nodded, more for his benefit that her own. She didn't believe what he said, she wasn't strong, and she wouldn't survive the death of her big brother. She had barely survived the death of their parents, and she very much doubted she would have if Anbjørn hadn't been there for her. With him gone Brita would be all alone in the world.

Even though she understood Queen Elsa's desire to protect her sister, she couldn't help but hate the woman for taking away the only family she had left. She wanted her to know the pain she felt in that moment, and right then she made up her mind. If that witch was going to take away her brother, she would take away her sister.


	9. Time's Up

**Chapter 9 - Time's Up**

After what happened the previous night Elsa didn't want to leave Anna alone for a second, so she had decided to spend the night in her little sister's room. She arose early the next morning, being careful not to wake Anna. As queen, Elsa had to be there for Anbjørn Jørgensen's execution, and though she didn't want to leave Anna alone, she wasn't about to make her watch a man hang, especially a man she had known for many years, so she pushed her fears aside as she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

* * *

"Time's up, Anbjørn!" Sigfried dragged his old friend roughly to his feet and walked him out of his cell. Anbjørn had known this was coming, he wasn't afraid to die, and he had no intention of putting up a fight. He knew that he had been wrong about Queen Elsa, he knew that he deserved to hang for what he tried to do to her, for what he did to her poor sister. He only hoped that Brita would be okay without him.

* * *

Brita Jørgensen walked into the castle courtyard through the open gates, blending into the crowd. Unlike most of these people she wasn't here to watch as Queen Elsa took her brother from her, she was here for revenge, she was here to take the queen's sister from her. When the queen returned from killing Brita's brother she would find her precious little sister dead.

* * *

Anna woke up wincing from the pain shooting through her chest. She turned, expecting to see Elsa, but then she remembered that Elsa had to be at Anbjørn's execution. Despite what he had done Anna found herself a little sad at the thought of Anbjørn hanging from the gallows. She knew that her and Elsa would be safer with him gone, but she had still known and trusted this man for a long time.

* * *

As Elsa scanned the crowd gathered in the courtyard she felt sick to her stomach. She understood the necessity of hanging traitors like Anbjørn, what she didn't understand was all these people coming out to watch like it was some kind of spectacle. Elsa turned to see Anbjørn Jørgensen being escorted into the courtyard. "Let's get this over with" she thought.

* * *

As Anbjørn was led out into the courtyard something caught his attention, or rather someone. Why was Brita here? He didn't want her to be here, to watch him die. He didn't want her last memory of him to be his lifeless corpse hanging from the end of a rope while a bloodthirsty crowd applauded.

He felt relief when he realized she wasn't going to watch, she was walking away, but why was she walking into the castle? Suddenly it hit him, she meant to kill Princess Anna. "Forgive me," he said, before smashing the back of his head into Sigfried's face. Before any of the other guards could react Anbjørn ran towards the castle, towards his sister.


	10. Cat & Mouse

**Chapter 10 - Cat & Mouse**

Anna knew she was supposed to stay in bed and give her wounds time to heal, but if she didn't get up and do something soon she was going to die of boredom. The young princess slowly and carefully sat up in bed. Every movement sent intense waves of pain shooting through her body, but she willed herself to keep going. By the time she got to her feet Anna was trembling, tears blurring her vision, but she felt a great sense of accomplishment.

The princess couldn't move at anywhere near her usual pace, but it beat laying in bed all day. When she made it to the hallway outside her bedroom she found it empty. Where was everyone? She felt sick to her stomach when she realized the obvious answer to that question. Was she really the only person in the castle who wasn't watching Anbjørn hang? Sure he tried to kill Elsa, he nearly killed her, but he was still a human being. She didn't want to watch him die, and she knew that Elsa didn't either, but as queen it was expected of her.

Anna pushed thoughts of the execution from her mind. All of that would be over soon and then Elsa would come looking for her. She would probably be mad at her for getting out of bed, but she would worry about that when the time came. For now she had to decide on where she was going. Her legs felt shaky, so she knew it couldn't be too far. She settled on one of her favorite places in the castle, the picture gallery. At least there she would have someone to talk to.

* * *

When Anbjørn broke free and bolted into the castle Elsa immediately took off after him. The guards tried to stop her, to get her to safety, but her only concern was stopping Anbjørn before he got to Anna. By the time Elsa was in the castle Anbjørn was nowhere to be seen.

She had no way of knowing which way he went. He could be anywhere, and she didn't have time to look for him, not when she already knew where he was heading. She ran as fast as she could towards Anna's room, hoping she wasn't too late.

* * *

Anbjørn was surprised at how easily he had evaded the castle guards. He had thought the men he had served alongside were better trained than this, but that was a problem for Queen Elsa to deal with later, right now he had to find Brita before she found Princess Anna.

His sister had been inside the castle a few times before, but she didn't know it as well as he did. She didn't know exactly where Princess Anna's room was, but she knew enough to start her search in that general area, so that's where Anbjørn went.

* * *

Since most everyone in the castle was at Anbjørn's execution Princess Anna hadn't been that difficult to find. Brita followed the sound of her voice into the picture gallery where she was talking to a painting of Joan of Arc. The woman pulled out a large dagger as she silently approached the young princess.


	11. Misunderstanding

**Chapter 11 - Misunderstanding**

Elsa's heart sank when she burst into Anna's room finding it empty. She knew she shouldn't have left Anna alone. This was all her fault. She ran out into the hall looking desperately for any sign of where her sister had gone. "Anna!" Getting no response Elsa tried again, but her voice broke, coming out as a painful sob as she said "Anna, please don't do this to me."

Just then Anbjørn rounded the corner at full speed, heading straight for Anna's room. His face turned pale when he saw the queen in front of her sister's door looking distraught. "The Princess," he said, "is she..." He was cut off by Frostbite pressing up against his throat. "What did you do to my sister, you son of a bitch?" Elsa growled.

Anbjørn wasn't afraid for his life, his only concern in that moment was Princess Anna's safety. "Is she dead?" he asked. Elsa was taken aback, but she kept Frostbite pressed against the former guard's throat as she said, "She's not in her room." Anbjørn breathed a sigh of relief. "Listen to me, Your Majesty," he said, "your sister is in danger, but I'm not the one she has to fear."

* * *

"Anna!" The scream barely reached Anna in the picture gallery, but she recognized her older sister's voice immediately. No doubt Elsa had returned to find her room empty. She felt a pang of guilt as she realized that her big sister sounded scared. She had thought Elsa would be angry upon discovering she was out of bed when she was supposed to be letting her wounds heal, but it hadn't even occurred to her that she might think something bad had happened.

As Anna turned to leave the room she saw Brita lunging at her with a large dagger, and acting on pure instinct she leapt out of the way, causing pain to flare up in her chest. She recovered just in time to dodge another swing that would have sliced her throat open. Brita wore a look Anna knew all too well. It was the look of someone who had lost the only family they had left in the world.

Only weeks ago when Anna thought her sister was dead she had shut down emotionally. She didn't eat, when she slept she was haunted by nightmares, and looking back on it she was sure that if Kristoff hadn't been there for her she would have given up completely.

Brita had a much different reaction to her grief than Anna. She didn't shut down and give up on everything, she wanted revenge, she wanted to kill Anna to get back at Elsa for taking her brother away from her. Anna thought about how it would destroy Elsa to find her dead, and those thoughts gave her the strength to fight, to push on through the pain. She had to survive for Elsa.

Brita lunged again, stumbling slightly as Anna moved out of the way. Seeing an opening the princess punched her attacker hard in the face, causing her to fall to the floor and drop her weapon. Anna scrambled for the dagger, but Brita recovered quickly, kicking the dagger away right before the princess could get to it.

Before Anna could get to her feet Brita kicked her hard in the stomach, making her double over in pain. She kicked her once more to make sure she wouldn't get up then strolled casually to where her dagger had landed, picking it up and walking back to Anna, who was still holding her stomach and trying to catch her breath. Brita knelt over Anna and raised the dagger high in the air. "This is for Anbjørn" she said.


	12. Redemption

**Chapter 12 - Redemption**

"Listen to me, Your Majesty, your sister is in danger, but I'm not the one she has to fear." Elsa looked at Anbjørn with suspicion, but if there was the slightest chance that he was telling the truth, that someone else meant Anna harm, she had to find out and quickly.

Just then several guards arrived, led by Sigfried. His nose was bleeding and he looked more than a little eager to get his hands on Anbjørn. Elsa held up a hand and said "Stop. I want to hear what he has to say." Sigfried looked like he wanted to argue, but he quickly caught himself. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said with a slight bow. Elsa turned back to Anbjørn. "What do you know?" she asked.

"My sister, Brita, she means to kill Princess Anna. She wants revenge." Elsa turned ghostly pale as she addressed her guards. "Spread out, find Anna," she said quickly. "And you," she said turning back to Anbjørn, "come with me." Sigfried hesitated. He wanted to tell the queen that it was too dangerous, that she shouldn't trust Anbjørn, but he knew it would do no good. This was about her sister, and she would not be swayed, so he simply did as he was ordered.

"I'm sorry, Queen Elsa," Anbjørn said as they ran. "I can never take back what I did," he continued, "but for what it's worth I'm sorry." Elsa looked at him and she knew he was sincere. "If we find my sister alive," she said, "all is forgiven." As she said the words out loud Elsa was forced to consider the horrible possibility that they might not find Anna alive.

Elsa gasped when she saw blood on the floor. It wasn't a lot, so she told herself that Anna had probably just tore some stitches, but her mind kept going to much darker scenarios. Elsa and Anbjørn followed the trail of blood down the corridor and into the picture gallery just in time to see Brita raising a dagger high in the air, preparing to plunge it into Anna's heart.

Anbjørn acted immediately. He broke into a full run and tackled Brita just before she could bring the blade down. The two landed in a heap a few feet away, and for a few seconds Brita was too stunned to move. She slowly pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, realizing that she hadn't lost her grip on the dagger. When she looked down she was horrified to find the blade embedded all the way to the hilt in her brother's heart.

Elsa rushed to her sister's side, carefully helping her sit up. "Anna, are you okay?" she asked. Anna was still gasping in pain, her eyes filled with tears, but she managed to nod and say "I'm fine, thanks to you." Elsa corrected her, "Thanks to Anbjørn."

The queen looked at the scene playing out nearby. Brita was holding Anbjørn's lifeless body in her arms, sobbing hysterically. She repeated her brother's name over and over begging him to wake up. Even after what she tried to do, what she almost did, Elsa felt sorry for Brita. She found herself crying for her, and for Anbjørn.

Several castle guards came running into the room, alerted by all the noise. They started to approach Brita, but she saw them coming and pulled the dagger out of her brother's chest. "I'm sorry, Anbjørn," she said as she plunged the dagger into her own heart.

* * *

Anna wasn't pleased at having to spend so much time in bed, but Elsa insisted that she rest until her wounds heal. The queen rarely left her sister's side while she was recovering, only stepping out for a few minutes at a time to attend to business that simply couldn't be put off. Anna was happy to spend so much time with her sister, but being stuck in bed all day every day was boring her to tears.

A few weeks later Anna was out of bed and back to her old self. She felt like she had on Elsa's coronation day when the gates were finally opened after 13 long years. For the first time in forever there were actual real live people to talk to, and they were all thrilled to have their princess back.

* * *

Anbjørn Jørgensen was given a hero's funeral. He would not be remembered as the man who tried to kill Queen Elsa, but as the man who sacrificed his life to save Princess Anna. Arendelle, and especially the queen, would be forever indebted to him.


End file.
